Process of producing aluminum nitrid.



G. GIULINI.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING ALUMINIUM NITRID.

APPLICATiON FILED DEC.26, 19x2.

1,1 Patented Apr. 25', 1916,

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Wflwwsas INVENTOR a GEOG GIULINI "MS }."M

2 ATTORNEY APPLICATION FILED DEC.26,1912.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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R D N E V N %MMW ATTORNEY w u m G e R 0 E G Wwmssas Patented Apr. 25,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

lwvamw GEoRs Gauulm G. GIULINI.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING ALUMINIUM NITRID.

APPLICATION FIILED DEC-26,1912.

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nrrrrnn eras .a in- GEORG GIULINI, 0F LAZZAGO, NEAR COMIC, ITALY.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING ALUMINIUM NITRID.

Specification of Letters li'atent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Application filed December 26 1912. Serial No. 738,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, GEoRc GIULINI, manufacturer, subjectof the King ofItaly, re: siding at Lazzago, near Como, Kingdom of Italy, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Processes of Producing Aluminium Nitrid;and I do hereby declare the following to be a'full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

This invention relates to a process and According to the presentinvention in stead of carbon, alkali metal such as metallic sodium inthe state of vapor is employed for reducing the alumina or aluminiferous materials, nitrogen or gas'containing nitrogen (e. g. producergas). being allowed to act at the-same time.

To the applicant" are known the United States Patents to' 'De Chalmot741396100- tober 13, 1903) and to Bosch 957842 (May 10, 1910), but hedoes not claim what is described inthc said patents.

The reaction may be represented by the following equation:

To prevent -the sodium oxid '(Na Ol same time to make the formersuitable for a new reduction,-it is advisable to add carbon to thealumina or alumini-ferous materials, which carbon reduces the resulting-Na O to the metallic state again, in accord; ance with theequatiom- 'Bythis means the sodium required for the retical quantity of sodium neededfor the process has actually to be employed.

For generating the sodium vapor, useis preferably made ofone of theknown methods, such for instance as the reduction of sodium carbonate bycarbon. Instead of producing the sodium in a special furnace andallowing-it-to act in the form of vapor on the'alumina or aluminiferousmaterials heated along with carbon, the whole of the reactions :-'theproduction of the sodium, reduction of the alumina and-- the formationof the nitrid can be advantageously carried on in one and the samefurnace.

One form of apparatus which may be.

preferably used for carrying out the process continuously according tothe present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a vertical section of the apv paratus; Fig'. 2 is a planview of same and in Fig. 2. J

.The charge consisting for example of a mlxture of sodlum carbonatecarbon and the aluminiferous material (6. g. bauxite) to be treated, isfed through the charging hopper 2' into the tubesf. These tubes are madeof highly refractory material, and are'provided at their lower ends 70with a discharging device of a kind suitable for continuous working. Thenitrogen, or gas containing nitrogen, necessary for the reactionundergoes "a preliminary heating in the passage m and enters the tubes fin a heated condition at n. The tubes f, the number and arrangementofwhich can be varied as desired are heated on the regenerative heatingprinciple. Both gas and air a're'heated in shafts c d and 0 03containing firebricks and furnish, on combustion, the temperaturerequisite for the reaction viz: a temperature up to about l,500 C. Thesupply of air. and gas is regulated by the flap valveo and damper p. Thepassages g serve to enable any obstructions occurring in the passagemtobe removed. v

The waste gases formed during the process escape through the flue at gand it. Tf the process is properly regulated, these waste gases consistchiefly of carbon monoxid, which can be utilized for combustionpurposes.

Fig. 3 is a section on the median line A+B The aluminium nitrid producedis drawn ofl gradually through the discharging device at k, acorresponding quantity of fresh material being introduced through thecharging hopper i. The aluminium nitrid obtainedin this ,way isparticularly adapted v is greatly facilitated.

for use in the production of pure alumina and ammonia, since it glvesanalkalme reaction withwater, whereby decompositron The herein describedprocess for-the con tinuous production of aluminium nitrid,

H difi'ers from the processes hitherto known,

only about 30% of the amount ofsodium theoretically needed for thereduction of the. alumina is actually needed, because, a con- I tinuousregeneration of the sodium by the added coal or carbon occurs during thecourse of the reaction.

' The process furnishes aproduct which,

addition to containinga high percentage of nitr0gen,-has the advantagethat, in consequnce of its'alkaline reaction, it is-admirably adaptedfor 'i urther treatment for the production of pure alumina and ammonia.-

Having now. particularly describedand ascertained the nature ofmy saidinvention and in what manner the same' is'ft'o be performed, I declarethat whatlclaim is '1. The process for the production of aluminiumnitrid which consists-.-,in' causing gases containing nitrogen alongwith alkali metal in a nascent state, to act onmixtures of compoundscontaining alumina and reducing agents at a temperature'below that ofthe electric are, but as high as the temperature at which nascent alkalimetalreacts on alumina compounds in thepresence .of nitrogen.

2. The process .for the production of aluminium nitrid which consists inheating compounds containing alumina with carbon and alkalimetalcarbonate to a temperature atewhich alkali'metal isformedin anascent state but below the temperature of the electric arc andconducting gases containing nitrogen through the mass.

- 3.- The process for the production of aluminium nitrid which consistsin arrangin'g vertical columns of a mixture of compoundscontainingalumina with carbon and alkali metal carbonate, heating the said mixturein order to form from carbon and alkali carbonate alkali metal andconducting heated gases containing nitrogen from the bottom ofv the saidcolumn vertically to the top, drawing ofi the formed aluminium nitrid atthe bottom of the said column and replacing at'the top of thesaid columnthe mixture of compounds containing alumina with carbon and alkali metalcarbonate consumed by the formation of aluminium nitrid. I

I In testimony whereofI afiix my' signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' E'oRG-GIULINI. Witnesses:

F. H. LOGAN, WM. H. BERRIGANJ copies of this patent may beobtalnedforfive cents each, by addressing the "Oon mflu onet Patents,

Washington, D. G.

